And, wasn't there a Zahav award in 2017? Indeed. Solomonov won the Beard as the country's outstanding chef.

Hasn't Solomonov won cookbook awards, too? Yes, he has. In 2016, Zahav, which featured recipes from the restaurant, was named the cookbook of the year.

Essentially, Solomonov, his restaurant, his partners and staff are the Beard Awards favorite everything, giving Philadelphia a high profile as a culinary destination.

It's a winning streak that would be impressive in sports or politics, let alone the culinary world, where new challengers and styles of cuisines emerge every year.

Solomonov, who shared the outstanding restaurant award with his business partner Steve Cook, keeps collecting trophies with his inventive takes on Middle Eastern food, by scouting for talented people to groom, and by cultivating attention to his work.

He starred in the 2017 documentary, In Search of Israeli Cuisine, which explains that what's known as Israeli food is actually an amalgamation of dishes from around the Mediterranean.

He's also been readily available to other filmmakers and broadcasters who want to explore his kind of food.

Engel worked at Zahav, which opened 11 years ago, and also helped launch Federal Donuts, known for its coffee, imaginative donuts and fried chicken.

"It starts at the top with Mike and Steve," Engel says. "They're so driven to show Philly what Israel means to them personally."

And, their personalities are reflected in the people who work at Zahav. "The culture is reflective of a high-energy and happy workplace focused on professional integrity" because of Solomonov, Cook and the restaurant's general manager, Okan Yazici, who began by busing tables.

"They have set the bar unbelievably high for other chefs and restaurateurs, including myself," Engel says. "It's not overstatement to say Mike and Steve have created something truly iconic in our time, and I'm happy I was able to be part of it."

In his acceptance speech Monday night, Solomonov gestured to the Zahav employees on stage with him. "When you're surrounded by these people, life is good," Solomonov said.

And, these may not be the last Beard awards that Solomonov and crew take home. According to Eater Philadelphia, the team has three new restaurants in the works, including K'Far, which Beard winner Cogswell will run.

Even though repeating is hard in sports, the Zahav streak looks like it has a good chance to continue.